DAYLIGHT SAVING. The benefits to be derived from a change in the hours of general activity, having for its object more daylight leisure and the lessening of work performed by artificial light, had long been a subject of theory before the World War. Germany and Austria were the first to put it into practice in May, 1916, by the simple expedient of advancing the clocks by an hour and following the new schedule during the summer months. The expedient was im mediately adopted also in England, Den mark, Holland, France, Italy, and other countries. The movement spread to the United States, and a bill to effect day light saving was passed by the Senate to take effect Jan. 1, 1918, but remained in committee during the year in the House of Representatives. Following the entry of the United States into the World War an act was passed by Congress in March, 1918, as a result of which the standard time of the United States was advanced one hour on March 31, so to continue to October 27. In 1919 the law again became effective on the last Sun day in March, in accordance with a re port submitted to the Director-General of Railroads by the Committee on Trans portation of the American Railway Association. The General Order No. 61, issued by the Director-General of Rail roads, provided that all clocks and watches in train despatchers' offices and in all other offices open at 2 A. M. should
be advanced one hour to indicate 3 A. M. It was further provided that at 2 A. M. of the last Sunday in October all clocks and watches in train despatchers' offices, and in other offices open at the time, should be turned back one hour, to indi cate 1 A. M., the trains conforming to the new schedule after the change of time.
The Daylight Saving Law did not re ceive general acceptance and, in 1919, an active movement was in progress to re peal it, particularly among people liv ing in the country and engaged in farm ing occupations. As a result an act for the repeal of the Daylight Saving Law was passed by both the House of Repre sentatives and the Senate, but was vetoed by the President. The bill was passed, however, in both Houses over the Presi dent's veto. In New York City the Board of Aldermen unanimously passed an ordinance providing for the local use of the daylight saving scheme, which was put into effect during the summer of 1920. It thus came about that the people in the city of New York regulated their hours according to local time, while the clocks at the great railroad termini stood at an hour behind that of the other clocks in the city.